In known wagering games, each individual Player places a wager on the outcome of an event such as a roll of dice, a selection of one or more randomly generated indicia such as cards or numbers, a horse or dog race, a Jai Alai game, a sporting event, fantasy sports or the like, and the wager is won or lost depending on the outcome of the event. Typically, Players are able to place their wagers on one or more of several possible outcomes of an event, such that the actual outcome creates both winners and losers among the group of Players of a particular game. Some wagering games are designed around a particular apparatus such that the Players must seek out a gaming table or machine in order to play. Other games can be played anywhere people are gathered and wagering is available. Regardless of the game being played or the venue in which it is presented for wagering, there is a need for a gaming method that will attract new Players to wagering games and hold the attention of existing Players so that such games remain attractive relative to the many new games and diversions constantly being developed.
An example of such a game of chance is fantasy sports gaming. Fantasy sports operators and/or retailers derive significant revenue from the sale of entries into fantasy sports games. In a fantasy sports game, Players wager on the statistical outcomes for a selected group of athletes or teams in a particular sporting event or set of sporting events. The Player may select a set of athletes and/or teams from an available list or the athletes and/or teams may be randomly assigned to the Player. The selection of athletes and/or teams may be subject to constraints; for example, a Player may only be able to select a combination of athletes and/or teams wherein the pre-set salaries for the athletes and/or teams do not, in total, exceed a salary cap. Alternately, a Player may only be able to select athletes and/or teams who have not been previously selected by other Players. This may be accomplished by using a draft scheme wherein Players select athletes and/or teams in a predetermined order.
A set number of points or other gaming currency may be assigned to specific statistical outcomes of the sporting event or set of sporting events. For example, a touchdown scored by an athlete in a football sporting event may be assigned six points, which are earned by the Player upon the selected athlete scoring a touchdown. Winning Players may be determined based on the total number of points or other gaming currency earned. The number of winning Players and payouts will depend on the gaming structure employed and may include a large payout or jackpot for a Player or subset of Players.
Many governments and/or gaming organizations sponsor wagering games known as lotteries. A typical lottery game involves Players selecting permutations or combinations of numbers, the exact format, quantity and ordinal value range of the numbers being dependent on the type of game. Each set of numbers entered in a lottery drawing is referred to as an “entry.” The numbers may be selected individually by the Player, or many Lottery Operators offer an option where, upon request by the Player, a random number generator controlled by the Lottery Operator is used to select some or all of the numbers of the entry. In either case, or in a combination of the two methods, the entry is typically made through computer and/or the completion of a machine-readable form having check boxes filled in to indicate the selected numbers. The Lottery Operator or Ticket Retailer typically prints a lottery “ticket” or receipt which lists each of the numbers of an entry selected by, or picked for a Player. The lottery ticket also typically includes a drawing identifier indicating for which drawing the entries are entered.
This is then followed by a “draw,” in which a combination or permutation of numbers is randomly selected by the Lottery Organization. Prizes are awarded based on the number of matches between a Player's selections and the drawn numbers. Examples are the well-publicized, multi-million-dollar-jackpot lotteries popular throughout the world.
Lotteries have proven to be powerful and lucrative revenue generating mechanisms. In the United States, a majority of states now conduct lotteries which may offer daily and/or weekly jackpots up to millions of dollars. These lotteries provide income to help fund state educational systems or provide capital for improvements to the state's infrastructure. Some states have partnered to form multi-state lotteries which typically provide even larger jackpots due to the increased number of participants in each lottery.
These government and/or gaming organizations may run the lotteries themselves or they may hire contractors and consultants to either run or help run the lotteries. For purposes of this invention, these organizations, contractors and consultants are referred to, collectively, as Lottery Operators.
Lottery tickets may be purchased from a Lottery Operator directly or, more commonly, through agents authorized by the Lottery Operator to sell tickets. Typically, these authorized agents are retailers who offer additional products and services not related to lotteries. Alternatively, these retailers operate websites that include advertising and/or offers. For purposes of this invention, these agents are referred to, collectively, as Ticket Retailers. Whatever method is used to sell lottery tickets, Ticket Retailers benefit from Players either patronizing their places of business or visiting their websites.
Lotteries have become an important source of income to governments as they provide revenue for education and other programs. As additional revenues are needed, perhaps due to a reduction in Player participation or the need for additional governmental revenue, ticket prices increase. This can then have an adverse impact on Player participation and a negative impact on revenue.
As governments have grown more dependent on lotteries, it is equally important to sustain Player interest. One approach to invigorating lottery sales is to expand game content beyond traditional combination/permutation games. The new games may help keep current Players, as well as draw in new Players.
The development of new games and diversions can be costly and time consuming, without any certain outcome of whether the game will be accepted by the gaming public. Thus, modifications to accepted games are desirable if they provide additional incentive to play already-established games. Existing methods of supplementing game play do not provide the multitude of benefits realized by this new method. These include: (1) giving Players an opportunity to purchase a chance to win a jackpot or large prize at a reduced cost; (2) increasing revenue for the Lottery Operators, at a reduced payout risk; and (3) increasing traffic to Ticket Retailers' places of business and/or websites. These benefits may likewise be enjoyed by operators and/or retailers of any game of chance.